Covid Policies & Procedures
Last Updated: March 28, 2022
These policies and procedures were carefully considered by a committee of Melrose Symphony Orchestra staff, musicians, board members, and audience representatives, and approved by the Board of Directors. The MSO will continuously monitor federal, state, and local guidelines as well as Covid-19 case reporting. All policies and procedures are subject to change. Please check this website prior to attending a performance.
All patrons, staff, musicians, and volunteers are advised to stay home when appropriate (symptoms or close contact with a person who has tested positive or has symptoms of Covid-19).
Proof of Vaccination OR Negative Covid Test:
All audience members, musicians, soloists, volunteers, and staff over the age of 5 must show proof of full vaccination before entering Memorial Hall. To maximize protection and minimize risk, booster shots are highly recommended, especially for indoor events.
Audience members over the age of 5 who cannot show proof of vaccination must show proof of a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours. Rapid tests will not be accepted.
Face Coverings:
A mask that fits snugly over your mouth and nose must be worn to gain entrance to the hall and for the duration of the performance. The CDC recommends surgical masks worn alone (or in combination with a cloth mask on top) or a higher grade (such as KN95) and avoiding the use of a cloth mask by itself. Surgical masks will be available.
Seating Capacity:
May Pops general admission seating will be reduced to 75% and table seating to 86%.
Children Under 12:
Only children ages 5 and up will be admitted to the venue until further notice. Please note, the Family Concert has been canceled.
Food and Beverages Sales:
Food and beverages will be served before the concert and during intermissions. Patrons may remove masks while actively eating/drinking, but only when seated.
Ticket Exchange Policy:
The MSO will offer free ticket exchanges during the concert season for patrons who are unable to attend due to health or safety concerns.
Additional Information
The MSO is committed to transparency in our policies. Please see below for additional information, FAQs, and survey results.
Venue Cleaning & Ventilation:
The following information has been provided by Memorial Hall. For additional questions, please contact Memorial Hall staff here.
“Memorial Hall staff performs a deep cleaning and sanitizing of the entire building at the end of every event, including spray misting all maroon seats. In addition, during events, they will clean the high touch surfaces periodically. Our deep cleaning and sanitizing procedures were approved by the Melrose Board of Health.”
“We have added free-standing hand sanitizer stations throughout the building in addition to wall mounted hand sanitizer units with location signs above them. In the restrooms, we have converted to flushometers and hands-free soap dispensers.”
Regarding the ventilation system: “We changed all the filters to MERV-13 filters. The HVAC external air is adjusted, depending upon the temperature, to 70-100% external airflow (previously it was set at 30-35%).”
Crowding and Traffic Flow:
The hall will open 90 minutes prior to the concert (6:30 pm) to reduce lobby crowding.
Restroom occupancy will be limited and intermission time increased to accommodate traffic.
Traffic flow patterns will be marked to reduce bottlenecks in the venue.
Seating Capacity:
For the May Pops concerts, table seating will be reduced to 86% (first row of tables removed) and general admission to 75% capacity.
Food and Beverage Sales:
Food and beverages will be served before the concert and during intermissions. Patrons may remove masks while actively eating/drinking, but only when seated.
Notifications & Contact Tracing:
The MSO asks any person who tests positive Covid-19 and attended a performance to immediately notify the Melrose Symphony at info@melrosesymphony.org or 781-662-0641.
In the event of a positive Covid-19 case notification, the MSO will notify local health officials to facilitate case investigations and contact tracing.
Signage and Messaging:
Messaging will be included on the website with current policies and procedures.
Any changes in traffic flow patterns in the venue will be marked.
Musician Policies:
All musicians and soloists must provide proof of vaccination AND booster shot to participate in rehearsals and concerts.
Non-winds and brass musicians must wear masks inside Memorial Hall. Masks must be of surgical grade quality or higher (no cloth masks). The MSO will provide KN95s for the musicians.
Winds and brass musicians will be supplied with bell covers (with MERV 13 filters) which should be used while seated during rehearsals and performances. Brass musicians will also be supplied with condensation pads.
The snack table will be suspended until further notice.
Misc. Policies:
In lieu of one program book for the season, we’ll have smaller playbills for each concert. Program notes will be available on the website and emailed out as well.
We will still have physical printed tickets, but ticket takers will wear masks and gloves.
In lieu of pre-concert lectures, the conductor will speak from the stage.
No Symphony Shoppe until further notice.
No singalongs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will I show my vaccine card and ID?
Attendees will be asked to present their documentation upon entering Memorial Hall.
What vaccination documentation will you accept?
Vaccination card (which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided and date last dose administered), or
A photo of a vaccination card on a phone or printed, or
Use of a Digital Vaccination Passport app, or
Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider electronic health record or state Immunization Information System record.
I am not vaccinated. Can I take my own rapid test and bring the results as proof of a negative test?
Attendees who are not able to be vaccinated must provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time. Covid tests must be administered by a third party. Self-administered (“at home”) tests will not be accepted.
Can partially-vaccinated people attend?
No. Only fully-vaccinated people ages 5 and up can attend. Please see the CDC website for the definition of fully-vaccinated.
Do I need to show a photo ID?
You may be required to provide a photo ID upon admission to the hall.
Do I need to show my vaccine card every time I see a concert?
Yes, we will need to verify your vaccine status for every concert.
Will the vaccination policy apply to all concerts this season?
Currently, yes. All policies and procedures are subject to change.
Who is responsible for setting and upholding these policies?
These policies and procedures were carefully considered by a committee of Melrose Symphony Orchestra staff, musicians, board members, and audience representatives, and approved by the Board of Directors. The policies and procedures are set and upheld by the MSO and not the City of Melrose.
Survey Results
In July 2021, musicians and audience members were asked to participate in an anonymous survey. A summary of the findings is provided below.
97.7% of audience survey respondents indicated that they are fully vaccinated or plan to be by October 1, 2021 (340 out of 348).
95% of musicians respondents indicated that they are vaccinated (76 of 80 musicians).
95.9% of audience survey respondents indicated that they would feel comfortable attending a concert this fall with some restrictions in place or without any restrictions in place.
90.5% of audience survey respondents indicated that they would feel comfortable with the hall at 75% or greater capacity.
72.4% of audience survey respondents indicated that they would not be interested in reserved, distanced seating at a premium.
For Additional Questions
For additional questions, please contact Jessi Eisdorfer, MSO Executive Director at jessi@melrosesymphony.org. Questions or concerns will be addressed by the Covid Policy Committee.
